Dangerously In Love
by victoriamalfoytw
Summary: Elena x Elijah One Shot. Some events are changed/made earlier to fit in but otherwise set in between 3x14 and 3x15. When Esther Mikaelson tries to kill her family, Elena can't help but interfere - she's a do gooder. Well that, and the fact that she can't bear to see him die.


**Dangerously In Love**

The soft knock on the door came as somewhat of a surprise to Elena. She wasn't expecting anyone, especially not at this time. It was late enough at night and she had just returned from the ball that was hosted at the Mikaelsons. The one where Esther had tried to kill all of her family.

Stefan and Damon would probably not speak to Elena for weeks because of what she had done earlier that evening. She remembered the events of the earlier evening.

When Esther had told her to ensure that all the family members drank the toast, Elena did what she should have - _she told Caroline._

The blond vampire knew exactly what Elena's qualms with Esther's plan were and she had no objections to what Elena had wanted to do. She let her best friend get on with it. When Caroline saw Elena pull Elijah aside from the dancing, she smiled to herself. Pulling the second eldest Original into another quieter room, Elena took a deep breath and began.

"Esther is planning to kill you all tonight, please Elijah, do not drink the toast champagne. She wishes you all to be linked as one so she can kill you," Elena pleaded, her worry overwhelming to him.

"Let me guess, Finn shall be the sacrificial son," Elijah questioned, eyebrows furrowed.

"How did you know?" Elena looked momentarily taken aback but recovered quickly.

"Finn _always_ hated what we are, especially what we have become. Mother made us vampires, she didn't make us monsters. We did that to ourselves, that is why she wishes to kill us. In her eyes, we are abominations and she betrayed nature when she created us. She feels it is her _duty_ to kill us," Elijah answered, his face stony and eyes cold. Elena placed a delicate hand upon his arm and his eyes flitted to her face, softening slightly.

"I'm sorry Elijah, _truly,"_ Elena smiled, kissing his cheek gently.

"Thank you Elena, and I am grateful for your concern for my well-being, it will not go unappreciated, I assure you," He bowed his head slightly, offering her his arm as they walked down the foyer.

"Quick, play along for the offending ears nearby," He whispered into her ear and she nodded.

"So how was my mother?"

"Intense," Elena sighed lightly.

"And for what reason did she need to speak with you in private? _Elena?_ Should I be concerned about my mother's intentions?"

"She just wanted to apologise for trying to have me killed," Elena answered, trying to play her part well.

"So it's true, then? She has forgiven Klaus?" Elijah asked, jerking his head ever so slightly to where Finn stood at the top of the stairs with Esther, looking like he was telling her everything being spoken.

"It's true," Elena smiled reassuringly, catching Esther's eye as the Original witch nodded,_ pleased._

The crystal of the glass Esther had been holding rang throughout the room as all heads swivelled to where she was standing on the staircase.

"Good evening, ladies and gentlemen. Waiters are coming around with champagne. I invite you all to join me in raising a glass. It provides me no greater joy than to see my family back together as one. I'd like to thank you all for being part of this spectacular evening. _Cheers!"_ Esther announced grandly.

"Cheers," Elijah smiled, clinking his glass together with Elena's and pretended to take a sip.

* * *

When he had entered his mother's study, Elijah remained calm and collected, fully engaged in his unsuspecting act.

"No violence, that was all I asked. Rebekah and Kol disgraced our family tonight," Esther snapped.

"It won't happen again mother, I'll deal with them," Elijah replied.

"Thank you Elijah. I wish the others were _more_ like you," Her breath caught in her throat as she placed a hand upon her second oldest child's face._ So moral, so human._ It was a shame. He took her hand quickly before leaving, passing Finn on the way out. _He knew it_.

* * *

Elena thought about how she had openly lied to Stefan's face. She felt bad about leaving him and Damon out of the new plan, which was a major plan but still, she did not want Elijah to die. She cared for him, felt for him. More so than Stefan and Damon. She _couldn't_ risk their interference.

"So uh, Esther wants to kill her whole family. How is that for mother of the year?" Stefan chuckled dryly as they approached her house.

"Yeah, and I got to look Elijah right in the eye and lie to him about it," Elena replied. _Oh Stefan, if only you knew that it is you being lied to._

"Well good. I can't say I'll be sorry to see any of them go," Stefan shrugged and Elena winced internally. She didn't think of Stefan as so ... _dark._

"I just signed their death sentences, Stefan."

"No, you signed Klaus' death sentence, Elena. Everyone else is just collateral damage," He replied bluntly._ Damn, he thought, why did Elena always have to be so caring and compassionate._

"It's not that simple," She shook her head at him.

"Their family has brought you nothing but darkness, Elena. It is that simple. Anyway, uh, good night," Stefan sighed, disappearing into the darkness.

* * *

Shaking her head to clear her of her memories, Elena opened the front door, to step back and gasp at her late night visitor. Standing there, _looking like a freaking Greek God,_ was Elijah. He was still in his tux although his bow tie hung loosely around his neck, his top three shirt buttons were undone and his hair looked slightly messier, as if he had been running his hands through it too many times to count. He was the very incarnation of dark and handsome.

"Ah, Elena," He greeted her warmly and she felt that warmth spread through her body. The man gave her chills, in a good way, and he wasn't even touching her. _But oh, how she wished he was._

"Elijah!" She grinned, noticing how a few seconds of his presence could bring more of an upward curve to her lips than Damon or Stefan's ever could.

"Sorry, come in," Elena stepped back again as he entered, before closing the door after him with a loud snap. It caused her to jump slightly, something that amused him _greatly._

"You are very jumpy Elena, are you well?" He asked her, some concern showing through his intense eyes.

"I am fine Elijah, and glad to see you are as well."

"Can we talk?" He asked her and she nodded, surprised that the ever so eloquent vampire had asked her to do such a social convention.

"Sure, come to my bedroom," She said, not realising just how she had phrased it.

"Crap, I didn't _mean-_ I meant, that's where I was when you knocked-_ oh my god,"_ Elena turned bright red from embarrassment, evidently flustered.

"Relax lovely Elena, I know what you meant," He smirked amusedly as he followed her up the stairs, smirk widening at the fast pace of her heart. _It was beating like a hummingbird's._

"Please, sit and make yourself at home. I'm just going to take off this dress,_ really,_ how did people wear these 24/7?" She grumbled the last bit to herself as she grabbed shorts and a vest before going into her shared bathroom.

Elijah gracefully took a seat on the edge of her bed, surveying the room. He noticed her teddy bear, her photos, her journal, all very personal things. Something caught his eye on her bedside cabinet as he continued his observations. A slip of paper lay on the cabinet, the words it held were written in what looked very similar to his own flourishing handwriting.

Looking again, he realised it was the letter _he_ had written to _her,_ apologising for his selfish, inhuman behaviour towards her when he had left her in the tunnels at the mercy of Rebekah. He had remained true to his words; his regret had haunted him to this day, as _he was sure it would_ for many years to come.

Coming back into the room, looking just as beautiful to him in her shorts as she did in her dress, Elena hung it up in her wardrobe before sitting down carefully beside him on the edge of her bed.

"What happened?" She asked him cautiously.

"It appears my mother could not wait until tomorrow to perform her ritual to sacrifice Finn. Tonight, once the guests of the ball had left, she called upon the witch spirits whilst in her study and staked Finn on the spot," He relayed grimly, hearing her sharp intake of breath.

"Your family, they aren't dead, are they?" She asked him quietly, leaning closer to him.

"No, they are fine, except Finn. But after all, it was what he desired."

"How?" Elena looked at him curiously.

"We have your little blond friend Caroline, I believe, to thank for that. She told Bonnie, who told Kol and Rebekah. And it seems that Caroline told Niklaus, apparently she has finally given into him. Well, I am assuming, judging from the noise level coming from his room in the mansion. Which, of course, was partly the reason I came here," He added dryly and Elena giggled.

_Klaus and Caroline?_ She knew she should have been a _bit_ more objective, but honestly, the pair liked each other. Tyler had bitten Caroline, to Elena that didn't equal love. _There was always a choice._ She couldn't be angry at her blond best friend. She was too happy that Elijah was very much alive and in her bedroom of all places.

"I'm glad you're alive Elijah, I would have missed you, you know," Elena sighed, resting her head on his shoulder. He stiffened momentarily_ - were his feelings for the brunette doppelgänger reciprocated?_

"I would have missed you also Elena," He smiled at her. She was so very different from Katerina and Tatia, who could have been evil twins.

"I care for you Elijah," Elena began softly.

"I,_ I love you,"_ She blurted out suddenly, clapping a hand over her mouth as she did so. She stood up.

_Oh god, oh god, oh god, did I just tell him that._

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to say that, oh how embarrassing-"

She was cut off by the gentle feeling of his soft lips as they pressed against hers. Not even hearing him stand or even move towards her, he had surprised her, but in a good way.

Elena wrapped her slender arms around his neck as his beautiful hands slid around her waist, pulling her flush against his body, eliciting a soft moan from her. Pulling back to allow her to breathe, he rested his head on her forehead.

"Relax, lovely Elena. You need not be so flustered or ashamed. For it has been a long time coming. _I love you._ Not because of your resemblance to Katerina, or even Tatia, that did not even draw me in. It was completely and solely because of you. You are warm and kind, you emanate compassion and care. You are inevitably human, beautiful and you are surrounded by a light. I would hate for it to be diminished by someone like me," Elijah revealed, ashamed of his past and actions. Elena listened intently to what he was saying, a smile gracing her kissable red lips.

"Elijah, you are an honourable man and I love _you._ A man's past does not and should not depict their future. We cannot judge a person based on their actions prior, it is unfair and unreasonable," She kissed him again; more passionate this time and he let her take control. He had never let go, and allowed someone to see so much of his true self before. But somehow this doppelgänger, _his doppelgänger,_ had managed to do so.

And for the first time, he considered himself completely disagreeing with his previous thoughts that love was a weakness. Love was the biggest strength there was, and theirs would bring about a new era. He would keep her safe and love her unconditionally. _Always and forever._

_****__Author's Note:- Hello, just a little one shot that popped into my head and voila. I absolutely love these two and I think they would fit together so well, better than Elena with either of the Salvatores! As always, I hope you enjoy this and if you can, please review!:D x_


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